Regional Aspects of the Perceptions of Political-Party Attachment in Sweden: Notes on Some Implications of Social Change1

Using confirmatory factor analysis of nine survey perception items the author tests hypotheses - derived from general theories in the field of electoral behavior- regarding fundamental latent structures of perceptions of party choice and party attachment in four types of Swedish environment defined by different degrees of urbanization. Significantly different structures have to be specified indicating greater group-dependent affective attachments in rural areas and attachments of greater dependence on the party-program contexts in urban districts. In the second and third sections of the paper these results are further explored through the construction of dichotomized typologies of voters. Loglinear analysis reveals that differences between environments, as with typologies, can be fully interpreted and explained by demographic and educational differences in the composition of the electorate. Provided that the different composition has been brought about by general urbanization, the results seem to indicate the political effects of social change that can be further emphasized in the future.     

Termination of Danish Government Coalitions: Theoretical and Empirical Aspects

"Termination of government coalitions" is an ambiguous notion. While the concepts of "termination" and "coalition" do not present insurmountable problems. the concept of "governments" is indeed very tricky. Empirical findings on termination of governments are highly dependent upon the definition of government, as shown by a Danish case study of 1945-93. A government is defined on the basis of party composition. It is found that Danish majority coalitions terminate because they lose the first upcoming election. whereas minority coalitions terminate for party strategic reasons. notably decisions made by the pivotal Radical Liberal Party.     

Regional Government and Governance in China and the United States

A comparative analysis of regional governance policies in China and the United States is presented from multiple perspectives, including jurisdictional structure, intergovernmental relationship, and performance outcomes. Policy reviews and case studies contrast how regional approaches may assist governments to learn seminal lessons from multinational experiences.     

我国地方政府改革研究揽析

总揽我国地方政府改革研究,需要准确把握我国地方政府改革研究的基本状态,梳理研究中的各种流派与主要观点,判断研究中的不足与问题,并有所启示。指出了我国地方政府改革的路径困扰,并阐述了架构理念支点与机制支点,有可能将我国地方政府改革带进由表及里、由浅入深、由局部到整体的新阶段的观点。     

区域协调发展与地方政府制度创新

地方政府制度对区域协调发展的影响,既包括地方政府制度创新对区域发展的积极作用,也包括地方政府制度创新异化对区域发展的负面影响。促进区域发展以及实现区域间协调发展需要规范地方政府制度创新的思路:即从推动本地区经济发展的角度来看,地方政府制度创新的目的在于提升地方政府的效能,为本地区经济发展提供一个好的环境;从推动区域协调发展上看,地方政府制度创新要有助于协调好地方政府间关系,有助于区域经济整体的发展。     

Devolved Functions in Government: Some Realities

Devolvement of functions to quangos and Departmental Agencies has been a marked feature of reform in government since 1970, accelerated by the ‘Next Steps’ initiative (1987–90). Its effects in terms of performance, costs and disengagement from related government activity are discussed by reference to experiences in the management of two large quangos created after 1970, the Manpower Services and Health and Safety Commissions and their Executives. Some general lessons are drawn for present application, and the discussion seeks also to expose realities and difficulties in the management of public bodies that are often overlooked in theoretical argument. It acknowledges the advantages of devolvement, but points to serious limitations in the ‘owner–agency’ model when applied to public business, arising from powerful centralising forces, rapid changes in political aims, the cardinal requirement for economy, and shifting needs for lateral co‐operation across the government sector.     

政府改革困境的制度结构性视角分析

目前,政府改革已成为我国经济改革和社会改革的关键,迫切需要我们深刻把握政府改革的规律.然而在现实中,政府改革面临着严重的实施困难,政府职能转变与政府机构改革双重不到位.从"国家悖论"与"政府失灵"理论出发,一般认为,政府改革面临的困境往往是由于政府制度变迁中制度供给主体缺失造成的,在理论上形成了难以深入分析的死结,也无助于政府改革的推进.认为,政府的角色冲突不是政府改革困境的根源和本质,而只是在考虑整体制度间均衡时的结果,忽略了政府的结构性特征;借鉴了公共管理理论中的政治家-官僚分析范式,以结构性分析的思路为主线,拓展了政府改革的两方博弈框架.从而认为政府改革困境的本质是政治家与官僚间在政府改革中的目标冲突与信息不对称;并分析了阻碍政府改革顺利推进的路径依赖效应与改革激励不足的问题.指出,要打破政府改革面临的困境,可以从改革的社会沟通与激励,财政约束,官僚机构的偏好与理念,以及全面长效监督等方面着手.     

Women’s Rights to Property in Marriage,Divorce, and Widowhood in Uganda: The Problematic Aspects

This article examines women’s rights to property in marriage, upon divorce, and upon the death of a spouse in Uganda, highlighting the problematic aspects in both the state-made (statutory) and non-state-made (customary and religious) laws. It argues that, with the exception of the 1995 Constitution, the subordinate laws that regulate the distribution, management, and ownership of property during marriage, upon divorce, and death of a spouse are discriminatory of women. It is shown that even where the relevant statutory laws are protective of women’s rights to property, their implementation is hindered by customary law practices, socialization, and the generally weak economic capacity of many women in the country. The article delves into the even weaker position of women’s rights to matrimonial property at customary and religious laws. In many homes, wives provide labor to support their husbands without having a stake in the use or monetary benefit from it. Under Islamic law regulating intestate succession to property, the entitlements for widows fall short of the constitutional standards on equality and non-discrimination. Polygyny is widely practiced by Muslims implying that the widows share the one eighth whenever there are children or one fourth in cases when there are no children. Radical reforms such as adopting an immediate community property regime instead of the present separate property regime are inevitable if women’s rights to property are to advance.     

关于克林顿政府改革的反思

克林顿政府的行政改革最大的阻力来自于美国政治制度本身,即美国法律体系、国会和联邦体制。同时,重塑政府的核心机构N PR并没有实质的政策制订权和实施权,所推行的绩效管理在实践中遇到了评估难、考核难等问题。再者,美国的行政文化传统也是一个阻力。在理论上,克林顿政府所依据的企业家精神的政府理论遭到了质疑,NPR的核心价值是政府效率、效能至上,没有完善的配套改革来保障在改革中维护社会公平和公正,导致重塑政府信任都出现了不信任等问题。但是,克林顿政府的改革成果和影响是不容忽视的,值得我国反思和注意。     

新加坡政府机制建设的基本经验——基于公共政策分析的视角

在主导新加坡现代化的历史进程中,新加坡政府不断加大制度建设的力度,积极完善强制、汲取、共识、监管、协调、表达、整合和再分配等政府机制,为铸就"新加坡奇迹"提供了制度条件、制度环境和制度功能上的保证。     

我国区域经济均衡发展与政府调控

区域经济非均衡发展理论表明,在市场经济条件下政府调控功能具有重要性。自建国至今,我国在区域经济发展上采取了不用的战略。建国后的三十年,我国坚持“平等”、“公平”的原则,推行了以“内地发展”为中心的均衡发展战略;进入八十年代,中央政府开始强调“高效率”,实施了以“沿海发展”为中心的非均衡发展战略;从九十年代开始,实施了以“全方位开放”为导向、“西部开发”为重点的区域间协力发展战略;进入21世纪,促进区域协调发展更加凸显。协调区域经济发展的手段:一是市场机制,二是政府调控。在政府调控方面,要全面规划、统筹兼顾、综合治理;建立相关的法律制度;积极利用财政杠杆,完善均衡政策体系;形成区域经济一体化。     

Some issues concerning women in senior management: a case study from Ghana

This article considers issues concerning women's managerial careers in the Ghanaian Civil Service, which have emerged from an analysis of data collected in Accra as part of a Government of Ghana project supported by the United Kingdom Department for International Development. This examined the position and status of Women in Public Life in Ghana and was known as the WIPL project. Within this project, information was collected from women civil servants, and it is this which is presented here. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

论政府在构建区域创新系统中的地位和作用

构建区域创新系统是提高自主创新能力、加快科技创新和经济社会跨越式发展的根本保证,地方政府在构建区域创新系统中将发挥重要的作用。本文着重分析了政府在构建区域创新系统中的地位和作用,并对如何发挥政府作用提出了建议。     

建立深圳区域科技创新体系的若干设想

深圳高新技术产业经过近十年的发展,无论是产业规模还是项目的科技含量都有了很大的提高,已成为深圳经济发展的支柱。深圳高新技术产业发展中形成的体制创新、政策创新、企业制度创新、投融资机制创新等,初步构建了区域科技     

Measuring Preferences for Divided Government: Some Americans Want Divided Government and Vote to Create It

Political Behavior - Tests of theories of the electoral origins of divided government hinge on the proper measurement of voter preferences for divided government. Deriving preferences for divided...